Romeoville H.S. teacher alleges discrimination in lawsuit

February 03, 2014

A Romeoville High School teacher has filed a lawsuit against Valley View School District 365U, alleging district officials discriminated against her in a variety of ways and retaliated against her when she filed a complaint.

Arlette Morris, 61, has taught at Romeoville High since 2004 and suffers from cerebral palsy, diabetes and other medical conditions, according to the suit, which was filed in November in Will County circuit court.

Morris claims in the lawsuit that she was harassed by Romeoville High's principal and assistant principal since October 2010.

Morris filed a discrimination charge in April 2012 with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims the district took "numerous actions to harass Plaintiff and retaliate against her" once the district became aware of the Human Rights Department charge.

Valley View officials declined comment, citing on the ongoing nature of the litigation.

Jonathan C. Goldman, the attorney who filed the suit on Morris' behalf, did not return calls for comment.

The lawsuit alleges that when Morris had to leave her classroom for a few minutes due to a low blood-sugar episode, the principal asked her, "what else is wrong with you."

Morris' suit also alleges that the district changed her schedule in January 2011 and did not allow Morris to teach summer school in June 2011, "even though the summer school principal wanted (Morris) to teach during that term."

The suit also alleges that Morris' assigned classes were taken away in September 2011 and she was assigned to independent study with five separate students.

Morris also was forced to teach study hall at 7:30 a.m. in a 50-degree cafeteria during the fall and winter of 2011, according to the lawsuit.

Morris was forced to teach geometry, despite the fact that she was not qualified to do so, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit also contends that Morris was observed in class "far more" than other teachers beginning in 2012 and that a letter was placed in Morris' file for being "dishonest" when she wrote in a notebook.

It was also suggested "falsely and without any basis" on March 6, 2012, during a meeting that Morris "might improperly touch one of her students whom she teaches at home," the lawsuit states.

Morris was also told she would teach summer school in 2012, only to have the approval rescinded, according to the lawsuit.

The suit also claims that false claims were made that Morris had not completed the tasks and work assigned to her at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

These incidents were based on Morris' age and were intended to make Morris either quit her job or take action that would constitute grounds for discharge, according to the lawsuit.

"No younger, similarly-situated teachers were treated in the manner that (Morris) was treated, including by being subjected to drastic schedule changes and frequent observations," the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 plus costs and attorneys' fees.